President Obama offered an emotional thanks to his Chicago-based campaign staff the day after the election. Beginning at 3:10 in the video below, he tearfully tells his team:

"You’re just going to do great things and that’s why, even before last night’s results, I felt that the work that I had done in running for office had come full circle. Because what you guys have done means that the work that I’m doing is important. And I’m really proud of that. I’m really proud of all of you.

And what you guys accomplished will go on in the annals of history. People will read about it and they'll marvel about it. But the most important thing you need to know is that your journey is just beginning. You’re just starting. Whatever good we do over the next four years will just pale in comparison to what you guys end up accomplishing for years and years to come. And that’s been my source of hope."

Mark Micheli is Special Projects Editor for Government Executive Media Group. He's the editor of Excellence in Government Online and contributes to GovExec,NextGov and Defense One. Previously, he worked on national security and emergency management issues with the US Treasury Department and the Department of Homeland Security. He's a graduate of the Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs and studied at Drake University.

By using this service you agree not to post material that is obscene, harassing, defamatory, or
otherwise objectionable. Although GovExec.com does not monitor comments posted to this site (and
has no obligation to), it reserves the right to delete, edit, or move any material that it deems
to be in violation of this rule.